NIGHTSAFE, the city centre campaign against drink-fuelled violence, is being extended to cover Cowley Road.

After driving down alcohol-related crime and disorder in the city, police and council chiefs who make up the Nightsafe partnership want to roll out identical schemes to cover Oxford's second largest entertainment area.

Cowley Road beat officers have identified antisocial behaviour as a top priority - and in many instances crime has been linked with excessive alcohol consumption.

Bars and nightclubs that sign up to the voluntary code would serve drinks in toughened plastic glasses and equip bouncers with high-visibility jackets.

The news comes just weeks after we reported that Temple Street landlord Barry Wilson claimed Nightsafe chiefs had snubbed his appeals for the scheme to be extended to cover East Oxford.

Mr Wilson said: "Anything we can do that helps is for the best - I'm fully behind the scheme."

In the city, all 70 plus premises are in the process of being 'ranked' by Nightsafe - given a grading of three to five stars depending on how much they do to drive down irresponsible drinking.